Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (Drew) proposes to co-sponsor a satellite conference to the annual American Society of Nephrology (ASN) "Renal Week" meetings for the next five years. The meetings will focus on chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular complications in ethnic and disadvantaged groups with carefully selected speakers, presenting junior investigators, and organizing committee members from multiple countries, focusing on Central and South America. Main topics will include prevalence of CKD, its main causes, early detection, prevention and access to renal replacement therapy. The title for this year's planned symposium is "Prevention of kidney disease in minority groups and emerging nations." This symposium stems from the growing global problem of progressive renal disease among racial and ethnic minorities. The proceedings of a similar 2001 symposium, which was an official satellite conference to the annual American Society of Nephrology meeting, was the subject of a recent Kidney International journal supplement that comprised of 28 articles (Volume 63, 2003). The overarching goal is to develop a symposium where kidney specialists discuss the burgeoning problems that beset racial and ethnic minority groups worldwide as related to progressive renal disease. The symposium will allow for the presentation and discussion of epidemiological, clinical, and basic science advances by a diverse international panel. The Drew Prevention of Kidney Disease in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups Symposium application has four Specific Aims: Specific Aim 1: To organize and implement symposiums focusing on the prevention of kidney disease in minority groups and emerging nations as a satellite to the American Society of Nephrology annual meeting; Specific Aim 2: To increase knowledge and therefore, increase prevention of chronic kidney disease in minority groups and emerging nations; Specific Aim 3: To cultivate junior investigators' involvement in studies regarding the relationship between kidney disease and minority groups/emerging nations; and Specific Aim 4: To develop and publish a supplement that comprises of articles from each of the speakers at the symposium for the Kidney International Journal.